


A long road home

by Alia_Jane



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-24
Updated: 2015-05-24
Packaged: 2018-04-01 02:02:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4001692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alia_Jane/pseuds/Alia_Jane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which the inquisitor is fed up with her travels. And possibly bears.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A one shot in a larger idea that will mainly focus outside the cannon characters, this is my first ever fic so I'm hoping to get some ideas of how you all feel about my writing before plunging into the abyss!

Valaria Lavellan was exhausted. They'd been out for weeks, on the move from the Hinterlands up to the Storm Coast, dealing with every problem every Creators forsaken inhabitant had shoved in her face. And bears. Quite literally hundreds of bears. Before she'd fell from the blasted fade, she'd seen, at best, no more than ten each season despite her status as a clan hunter. Maybe Corypheus was importing them to slow her down? When the word came she was needed at Skyhold, and the last of the farmers was satisfied with her interventions, she let out a unladylike whoop that would have given Josephine a fit and smacked The Iron Bull on the back

"About bloody time eh big guy? I bet you can't wait to get back to that little redhead you've got on the go"

"Yes I'm sure she's missed you desperately, although she's probably estatic having been able to walk unaided for the last month" Dorian's snide comments had been a constant thorn, growing more vehement the wetter and less groomed he became. Bull didn't comment, thank Mythall. 

"Creators Dorian, why I picked you to come along I'll never know"

"Obviously you have an appreciation for the finer things in life. It's a pity you don't extend the same principles to your other company. Or wardrobe." That said, he pulled back to the wains, probably trying to flirt a bottle of wine out of Mia.

Disgusted, she vowed never to include Dorian and Bull in the same party again. Fade take it she might just send him back to Minrathous and have done with it the way he'd been whining about the atrocities of the South; weather, wine, company; all were severely lacking in his overblown opinion. Still, he was easy on the eye and his fireballs were superior to anything her Keeper had ever shown. 

The Iron Bull was happiest when he could swing the small tree he called a sword about, so she debated sending him on point. Not that he'd ever disrespect her authority, but he hadn't been himself of late and Dorian's taunting wasn't helping. He'd been kept busy given the seeming endless amounts of enemies (and bears) that had seemingly nothing better to do than delay her from getting home and he seemed to revel in the destruction he wraught, laughter booming as he cracked skulls. Valaria decided to discuss Reaver training with him in the future, she was sure he'd take to it marvellously and it would be an excellent outlet for him.

Uncharacteristically, the last member of her team was silent. Looking to her left, Valaria spotted Cole with a scrunched up look on his face "Bull! Take point!" She knew that look and nothing good would come of it; her previous efforts of diverting the lad had earned her wounded eyes, like she'd kicked a puppy or a baby nug... 

"I don't understand! The words wound, but it's good, shuts down the thoughts, the way he looks, the way he smells...would he taste the same?" 

She looked up sharply, past the swaying golden head of her hart and saw the huge back stiffen; before she could look away, his angry eyes were on her, knew she'd heard every word. 

Bull turned to face forwards, staring ahead, staring now to where the Noble Scion of House Pavus was lazily waving his filched bottle as he rode past and on down the road, oblivious to the tension in the others as he proceeded to take point. Stupid of him to do that she thought, it takes time to cast a decent offensive spell; if they were surprised...

"Dorian!"

The mage reined in his mount, a purebred out of Minrathous, gifted to him at great expense by an allied magister, and waited for them to catch up. 

"Bull, Cole, take point"

"Yes boss" 

"Go hit something. Not Cole." She qualified as his gaze swept across to the little rogue. 

"Got it"

Valaria sighed. It would be a long road home.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For all her anger with him, my qizzy loves Dorian and wants to know him better.

"Dorian?"

"How may I be of assistance, Inquisitor? Do you wish me to recite my many manly virtues?" 

"I'm well aware of you virtues you ass, maybe I'm not the only one to notice either?"

"Oh ho! Do tell who exactly has been talking my sweet, I do so love hearing people expounding on my qualities! I seem to recall there was a stunning young thing helping pitch the camp last night, maybe I can finally get some decent conversation hmm?" 

Valaria laughed, dealing with Dorian was often like having a child, albeit a deadly one, who was bribed with flattery instead of sweets.

"No, it wasn't Ser Stavros" 

The bantering look was immediately replaced with anger.

"I was referring to Mia actually".

She was surprised by his vehement denial; after all she'd seen enough of Dorian to know his preference and thought it so obvious that she'd never actually commented before.

"Dorian, you don't have to hide from me".

" Yes, I do. Now if you'll excuse me I'd rather discuss your personal life."

"Amongst the Dalish, such pairings are common," she said gently "even among the people represented by the inquisition, I've seen many; love is what's important"

"Stop it" he growled "you have no idea what it's like" 

"Shame, always running hiding hurting. Cold bed, colder arms as they leave, never smiling"

Cole had drifted back down the road, drawn by the pain she supposed, although from the sounds up ahead it seemed Bull was mauling another bear so he might have just wanted to avoid a bite. 

"He didn't need me," the spirit affirmed as he followed Valaria's gaze, "he does."

She took this as a sign to slip away and organise the troops following to strike camp.

 

***********

Valaria's never knew exactly what was said, she couldn't work up the nerve to ask but she could have sworn Dorian glanced Bulls way more than was strictly necessary for the limited conversation over the lumpy stew that was all the could scrounge from the bleak land they traveled. 

She sighed, stretched, and decided to call it a night. Bull was still staring moodily into the fire, Dorian hunched up in his ridiculous robes, as close as he could get without literally setting himself ablaze, looking angrier than she'd ever seen him. Cole, having caused all the blighted trouble in the first place, was nowhere to be seen.

"You good to take first watch Bull? Wake me next?"

"Yes boss."

She sighed again. It looked like all that hard drinking she'd put in with the big guy was for nothing, and she didn't relish having to try and get him to open up again with a bottle of gut rot. 

As she entered her tent, she hoped her sleep would be more peaceful than the waking world.

*************

A kiss. That's all it was, but it held her captured, stunned against the firm encircling arms of her Commander, breath mingling sweetly as she tried to recover some semblence of control over her traitorous body. 

He pulled back, just to look at her, she felt the blush right to the tips of her ears.

"May I?" 

She nodded, then closed her eyes as his strong hands, so gentle now, brushed against her hair, stroked her ears. 

"You know, I've always wondered why people say knife ears when they refer to the elvehen," he murmured "they're not sharp at all..." He felt her stiffen in affront, "Maker, no, I mean...they're beautiful, you're beautiful, Valaria..."

He captured her with another kiss, using his tongue, so clumsy with words, to gently worship her with his apology. Her hands bunched in the fur at his neck as a moan escaped her. He deepened the kiss as she tried to pull herself tighter to his body, hoping that this was it, that the dancing was over, that the smouldering need she had for this man would finally be ignited as he let down his guard...

She sat bolt upright with her dagger in hand, flopping back to the pillow with frustrated tears streaming down her face as she took in Cole, legs gathered under him and his hat cocked back so he could see her better in the gloom. 

"Why are you crying, when you don't feel sad?" He asked, scrunched up face focused on the shine in her eyes, the hitch of her breath. 

"How the fade you think I'm not sad I'll never know," she glared at her intruder, noting he was unarmed, and not wearing a shirt. "don't wake me up like that again if you don't want a dagger in the throat, now get out of here!"

"You'd have to find my throat first," Cole promptly dropped into stealth and she felt the displacement of air as he moved closer to her. Valaria raised her dagger, wary now, Cole was odd but she'd never felt endangered by him before now, not like some of her company did. 

Suddenly she felt fingers on her face, tracing the path of her tears, as though it would help him understand. 

"You're angry. And that feeling no one talks about, except Bull, the one that means he's been visiting at night. I thought people only cried when they were sad?! Please explain inquisitor, I don't understand!"

If Cole eventually died, or whatever was the spirit equivalent, no doubt someone would carve that on his grave. She mused as she tried to think best how to discuss sex with a maladjusted spirit boy who'd yet to even look at another person with desire, never mind discover the wonders of partnership...as she thought, her mind drifted back to the dream. Damn it she was so tired of waiting for Cullen to make it past his self imposed chastity that she was considering forcing the matter, not that it would help matters but she just was so desperate to progress things beyond lingering kisses and too light embraces. 

"You miss him! Like I miss Varric!"

Valaria opened a bleary eye, unaware that she'd been drifting back to sleep, and stared, shocked at the boy who now sat cross legged next to her head.

"You, and Varric?" She foundered, she'd never have guessed Varric would have favoured any but a dwarf, unless it were maybe Cassandra, and now Cole was declaring he missed Varric carnally?

"He cares, see's me more; he tries to make me eat" at this he pulled a face before brightening "I like biscuits best"

"You know, that's not quite the way I miss the Commander"

"You don't like biscuits?!"

 

Fin


End file.
